It is simply amazing how your expectations can be shaped by price, presentation, spin and buzz. Now mind you, I spent a couple lifetimes marketing shit, I mean concentrated growing aid, to America's consuming shitkickers and I really oughta be immune to marketing hype. And Sue Sea and I have reviewed enough rum to realize that price and presentation are not related to quality.
Some of the very best rums we have ever tasted are located on the lower shelves. I'm serious.
As so well expressed in the Rum Preview of Zaphra 21 (link), this offering is yet another of the highly, highly marketed "Z" rums brought in by the boyz at Dana Importers. Their marketing department is truly one of the best, fully capable of representing even an ordinary rum as a magnificent elixir and concentrated drinking aid. Don't believe me? Read it for yourself (here). But I digress.
When I finally obtained a bottle of the hard-to-find Zaphra for $35 (rather than its then more typical $50-60) I grabbed it, as we were chomping at the bit to post the first real independent review of this magical elixir, er new rum. Basta I say - shut up you babbling idiot! The reviews:
Sue Sea:
Me:Unlike Jim, I'm take special joy in a rum's presentation. I really enjoy a well designed bottle and label, particularly if it well reflects the product. Zafra Master Reserve has spent a lot of time in the advertising art department, but not necessarily to its benefit. Does it look very expensive? Absolutely. It comes in a stylized, Ralph Lauren bottle with an aristocratic deep dark blue on vanilla, pseudo torn label. Very preppy, and a great example of I-can-afford-it class warfare products.
Too bad.
Although I usually leave it up to Jim to describe the color I have to say I was surprised to find that the Zaphra presented as an almost cloudy deep amber, not particularly clear. Not at all like the very attractive, almost crystalline brilliance and sparkle of say a Seales 10 Year or Mount Gay Extra Old.
In nosing Zafra Master Reserve my primary impression was of spicy leather, with a bit of cane, deep orange and a medium vanilla. Most surprising was a deep, sinus-clearing green wasabi effect! The early palate was unusual - not smooth like honey (as many rums present) but a very dry sweetness. This transitioned in the mid palate to a notable growing heat and spices including a strong cinnamon, clove and something akin to a dry, hot ginger.
The finish was a very hot jalapeno; the Zafra Master Reserve left an almost unpleasant, very dry hot pepper, persistent aftertaste. Compare to the aftertaste of a hot pepperoncini - dry and lasting and that demands a palate clearing drink of cool, clear water.
In closing, if you had told me this rum was from India, like the intriging Old Monk XXX with its unusual and atypical spices, I might have believed you, except that the Zaphra spicing seemed not at all authentic. Personally I don't care for this type of altered rum, which is reminiscent of the spiced rum category.
Considering its price, Zaphra Master Reserve 21 Year was very disappointing.
I must tell you that reviewing this rum was difficult if only because I wanted to be scrupulously fair with it, particularly after our rather average review of Dana's Zacapa "23". A decent rum, but certainly nowhere near its near mythical reputation. And more than couple good reviewers agreed with us. Still, great marketing is great marketing and does indeed affect all of our expectations.
Let's start with Zafra Master Reserve's presentation in the glass. A nice deep amber (what else would you expect with an alleged 21 year old rum), but suspiciously unclear. Additives? False economy? I would expect the distiller of such an expensive rum to take the time to properly filter the rum. When you pay close to $60 for a rum, it had better look terrific - brilliant and sparkling. Second was the absence of even a hint of a green edge (an indicator of age).
This wasn't right.
Zafra Master Reserve's aroma presented with a spicy cinnamon sweet leather. Call it a deep sweet. The cinnamon continued to dominate the early palate, followed by a growing astringent leathery heat and black pepper finish. The aftertaste was long, sticky, dry and almost sour. As Sue Sea put it "...a little rough, like sucking on one of those little 'Red Hot' candies". Quite an unusual finish. While sweet heat is a fine and wonderful, much prized sensation, here the dominence of dry heat - even with a bit of sweetness - is not.
A perfect rum for the needy but wealthy rum submissive, able to pay dearly to experience a good whipping by the Dominatrix Cinnamon: "Drink this now. You will like cinnamon. You will, you will, you worthless rum swilling twerp. Drink! And no water for you!".
Score (10 is best): 6 (barely).